Making Friends and Influencing People for Dummies
by Cinderfire16
Summary: "That's what you get when you see your life through someone else's eyes." Or: Bella the Recluse is married to Edward the Rich and Famous Businessman. This would cause a few problems... if they weren't exactly who they were.
1. A not so normal night out

"That's what you get when you see your life through someone else's eyes."

"C'mon Bells, _please_? You never let me take you anywhere."

Isabella Cullen, nee Swan, was doing her best to avoid her husband's puppy face. His green orbs and the pout he reserved specifically for moments like these were her downfall, and she knew that she would go, whatever her reservations, if only to keep him happy. Besides, he was right. Hermit was too nice of a word to describe Bella. Her crippling fear of rejection stopped her from doing anything, forget about going outside. She was still shocked that she had a Greek God for a husband, but he seemed content to have her and would scream it to the world if she'd let him.

As it were, they had a small ceremony, with his parents and her best friend and his fiancée, Jacob and Renesmee, as witnesses. They were ecstatic to be there, and when the papers were signed and the rings placed on each other's fingers, Esme swept her into a hug and Carlisle nodded his approval, eyes warm. The Cullen patriarch wasn't much of a hugger, something leftover from his childhood, but he was very smart and made for interesting conversation when she felt up to seeing other people.

In fact, beyond Edward, Dr. Cullen was one of the few she could honestly say she would voluntarily turn to, right along with Edward's oldest brother, Jasper. They were calm, reasonable, and given the choice she would rather blurt out her insecurities to one of them than push her husband away with her fears. But step one was acknowledging that said fears existed, and there was no way she could not tell Edward when he already knew and was simply waiting for her to say. He was perfect, with his red-streaked, forever-mussed brown hair and soulful green eyes. Any girl would be lucky to have him.

 _But he chose you…_ which brought Bella back to her original problem. Edward wanted to take her out. To an event. Not even like a small, date-type event. People could make or break their careers here! (Not that she had much of a career to make or break, considering how she wrote under a pseudonym and could hole herself up for days on end if Edward would let her.)

But that's not the point. Edward _had_ to be there, and while this was not the first time he attempted to persuade his wife into going to an event, (the only other time had ended disastrously for both parties, with Bella in tears before she entered the ballroom.) this was an important moment for him in the business world, one he wanted to share with her and one that he knew they would revel in when he got home. He just wanted to have her there as the moment came… but she was so afraid of being discarded that she abandoned the world in return. It was all Edward could do to convince his wife that he was still there in the mornings because she was walking on eggshells, waiting for the other shoe to drop. In those rare, intimate moments where Bella let herself go and lived life, she was full of passion for whatever she set her sights on, be it intellectual conversation or writing or Edward himself, but those moments were few and far in between, and they mostly occurred when she'd lost all inspiration for whatever she was currently working on. Edward loved those times, but he despised that they came at the cost of his wife's regular overall happiness.

"You don't have to come." He found himself saying, voice numb. "We can celebrate when I get back, yeah?"

Bella didn't move, even after Edward dressed for the event and called his chauffeur. He pressed a kiss to her still form and wrapped her in a warm hug. She surprised him by responding in kind, and let him go with a soft "Good luck."

The door shut and the car took off, and something snapped in her. The mousy, painfully quiet young woman was off like a shot, racing around the room as she punched numbers into the phone.

"Alice Cullen's phone, Jasper speaking."

"Jas Jas Jas Jas Jas!" She yelped. "I need Alice, I need clothes!"

"You sound pretty desperate." Jasper chuckled.

"Shut up and send her over, _please_?!"

"She was on her way over anyhow, Bells. She has your outfit all picked out."

"Did she know I would want to go?"

"No, but you know Alice."

"She's a master at planning ahead." A knock on the front door startled Bella out of her reverie.

"Gotta go! Thanks!" She blurted out.

"Have fun, Bella." Jasper offered sincerely. Bella hung up and raced down the hall, flinging the front door open to find her savior for the night.

"I have your outfit all ready to go, and we shouldn't be any more than half an hour. Edward left early, though, so we should be able to catch up."

"Good." Bella insisted. "I messed up, Allie, you should've seen his face."

"This is not your fault." Alice assured her sister as she adjusted Bella's dress and fixed her makeup. "And you'll be fine. Jasper was right when he said to have fun."

"You're the best, Allie. I'll make it up to you, I swear!"

"Just get to Edward before the show starts, okay? I want to see the look on his face when he sees you standing there! Oh, he's gonna be crazy about you, Bells!"

"He's always crazy about me." Bella mumbled. _I just wish I could show him I feel the same._

Alice pulled up to where Edward's car was parked, and the chauffeur was more than happy to assist them.

"Thanks, Embry. Tell Quil the proposal will be fine."

"Yeah, definitely." His brother had been agonizing over marrying his girlfriend for the past few weeks or so, and it was driving him up the wall and down the other side!

Bella got out of the car and raced for the door, ignoring the flashes of cameras and the questions roared her way. Edward stood at the end of the path, a solemn expression on his face as he turned to go inside. Bella blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Hold the door, will ya?"

Edward whipped around and his face lit up, green eyes reflecting shock as he smirked and held out his arm. Apparently this was going to be a good night.

"I'm glad you came." He murmured warmly as they went inside with her clinging to his arm.

"Just don't let me embarrass myself." Bella squeaked.

"You'll do great." He assured her.

They were swept up in a whirlwind of people that, had they been anyone else they would have separated by now, but Bella knew how dangerous that could be, for both his career and her mental health, and Edward knew his wife. No one asked about Bella, and she was perfectly fine with that. They nodded respectfully, chatted with Edward, and moved on.

So many people…

"Are you alright, dear?" Edward murmured as he turned fully to face his wife. She yelped slightly when his hand brushed her cheek. If she was getting antsy this quickly then perhaps she'd been right not to come.

"We can go home." He offered gently. Bella weighed her options. If she stayed, she could people-watch. She liked doing that. The idea of it calmed her immensely. She just needed to not be the center of attention and that, no matter how much she hated it, meant staying away while Edward did his thing.

"I could use some air, but we don't have to go home. Is Esme busy?"

Edward grinned and hugged her to him.

"She'll be so glad you asked for her that it won't even matter." He murmured.

Bella liked Esme, intimidating as the powerful matriarch could be when she swept into a room. Whether she was barking out orders or observing with a shrewd glance, she commanded attention and for the longest time, Bella had been terrified of the woman.

Slowly but surely, she'd come to know the maternal side of Carlisle's wife, and more recently, to revel in it along with the rest of Esme's children, grown though they all were.

Edward guided her to a set of doors with both hands on her shoulders. He didn't even need to say anything. He radiated pride for his wife, and if Bella could find out why, that was one mystery solved.

A few more hallways introduced them to a small room packed with people, and Esme stood off to the side, easily seen as she chatted with a blonde younger woman in a deep violet gown. Bella shivered under her husband's questioning gaze.

"You said she wasn't busy!" She hissed, taking sight of the room the auction was held in.

"That's Rosalie, remember? I know you don't talk much, but she'll be okay for a few moments."

Rosalie Hale, Jasper's sister and Emmett's wife. Ice-cold glares and sharp words. Take everything Bella originally thought was bad about of Esme and multiply it by 100. The blonde was not afraid to step on toes to get what she wanted. And yet, she had offered to look at the car Edward had bought for her as an engagement present. Bella didn't like that much money being spent on her, she'd never done anything to deserve it and there were nicer people with far less than her. But she was getting over it because the Cullens weren't about to stop spending money because she said so, and Edward loved buying her things as much as he loved giving her compliments. He would give her the world, if that's what she wanted.

"What's got you so lost in thought, dearest." Her husband's velvet voice brought her back to the present. They were halfway through the crowd and Esme was there to meet them. Bella told him her last thought and he nodded. "I'm glad you know that." He smirked, kissing the back of her hand and going to stand by Rosalie. Esme grinned and took Bella's hand, leading her back out of the room and down a different set of hallways.

"I'm glad you could make it." The matriarch said warmly. "And that I got to see you. How was your night so far?"

"Lovely." Bella offered sincerely. "The look on Edward's face when I got there was hilarious! It was like we were seventeen all over again."

"Ah, I forgot that's when you first met. I do remember him coming home at 22 and saying "Mom! Mom I found her again, she's back!" Esme panted in a spot-on impression of her breathless son. "He was so happy… and then you came to visit us and I could see why. I don't think I've seen Carlisle that impressed in a long time, and Jasper spent the rest of the day trying to figure out how you were able to read him so well. He's not used to others using his powers against him."

"He must not meet a lot of wallflowers, then. Introverts love to people-watch and I'll make up a story on the spot if I see someone interesting. Before… before I actually met you, I made up a lot of stories about you and Carlisle. By the fifth visit, I was convinced you were royalty with how you carried yourselves."

"And what told you otherwise?"

"Nothing. You're still royalty. You're just the kind who likes to interact with people."

"Is that so, Princess Swan?"

"Indeed, Queen Esme."

The two snickered for a few moments before pulling themselves together.

"This was nice." Bella mused.

"I liked it." Esme agreed. "We should do this more often. Maybe have Alice and Rose join in every once and awhile."

She froze up at the mention of the other daughters. Alice was nice. A bit pushy, but more than willing to be patient and she knew how to make people look good and still be comfortable. Bella didn't know Rosalie at all, except for the fact that she liked cars and Emmett. And that something bad happened to her when she was younger. Bella wouldn't touch that with a fifty foot pole.

"Rose isn't so bad." Esme offered softly. "A bit rough around the edges, but who isn't? We'll go slow. It doesn't have to be now."

"I… it's okay. You're right. I don't know her. I just… she reminds me of someone, and I keep hoping that my friend won't need to be so cold just because she wants to block everyone out. Now that I think about it, I should probably call Jessie when we get home." If what she remembered of Mike is right, he's still an asshole and they've probably gotten divorced.

"I see you noticed." Esme offered quietly.

"Well, Rose can be hard to warm up to, but once you get to her inner circle you're in for good. Unless you do something extremely stupid, which knowing you, will never be a problem."

Bella grinned. Esme was blunt when it counted, and she would guess that it was a trait well-developed that one needed when dealing with people.

Our phones vibrated at the same time and Esme snorted.

"I think Edward's a bit eager to get home, dear, so why don't we get back to the lobby?"

"Definitely!" I breathed, relieved. I hadn't had a meltdown. Things were looking up.


	2. Is it really paranoia?

Jasper Hale has always known what people wanted. Prophet, some called him. Genie, gypsy, because hazel eyes were rare in his line. Rodalie's blue orbs made her the belle of any ball, not that there were many. But Jasper was a lurker. He liked to listen to conversations and watch how people reacted. Human connections were his thing, and though he was very good at making impressions, being the life of the party was definitely more Rose's style.

"You're rather absent tonight."

Carlisle Cullen scared the shit out of Jasper. Not because the man was tall, because Jasper's family had never been short. No, it was not height that made the man so intimidating.

What was there to say besides the truth? The younger blond had gotten lost in thought as he watched his wife dance through the room with the air of grace she always carried. The words that came out of his mouth were not what he expected.

* * *

"Something feels off." Jasper choked out unexpectedly. Dr. Carlisle Cullen was not one to ignore his instincts, and they had been buzzing all night. It could be because half of the people here were Edward's people, company men and CEOs trying to cozy up to the man as they pursued their own interests. But Jasper had confirmed his previous fears that something would go wrong tonight, and more than anything, Carlisle itched to be curled up with his wife, away from all the slick words and empty promises. What could Edward possibly have to gain from these people?

He had to remind himself that the event wasn't just to celebrate how long Edward's company has been around.

 _If you know thy enemy as you know thyself…_

Something was indeed wrong tonight, and Carlisle hoped to figure out just what it was before anything explosive happened.


	3. Decisions, Decisions

**Both the chapter and the story will be updated as more ideas flow through. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Learning had always been easy for Bella. It was life that seemed to be the problem.

"Welcome to Business Management 325, your syllabus will be up shortly and we'll begin class in a few minutes."

Oh, this would be _something_.

* * *

It had started as an attempt to at least be interested in what Edward was talking about, because people were hilarious but it'd be nice if she could get the business side of things without Edward having to stop and explain every few minutes. It ruined the joke, no matter how anyone spun it. It also started as an effort to get out of the house more, because watching life go by was making her restless in a way she'd never been before. Twenty-nine years old was too early for a mid-life crisis, wasn't it?

At any rate, she'd made a list of things she always wanted to do and stuk it where Edward could see it. She felt silly as she watched him read her note from where he couldn't see her, but she did't want to see the look in his eyes when he saw what she'd written. Superficial things, like rock-climbing and white-water rafting, zip-lining wouldn't take her anywhere in life, but it sounded like so much fun... but who's to say that he'd want to go with her? Taking business classes was about the only thing she could look him in the eye without fear of rejection. He'd support her in whatever she did, but he'd be _excited_ for this. ("He'd be excited if you brought home a stray cat." Rose insisted airily. "He's happy just watching you take your next breath because that's what love is.")

The rest of the family confirmed the sentiment, although Edward was the only one to ever see her list.

But back to the current situation. Edward had driven her to class himself, shoving Embry into the back seat.

("You mean I get to go through all the cool stuff back here? Because you know this car is tricked out to the max!") Nevermind that had he asked at any point before this, Edward would have been fine with switching places. He liked driving just as much as Embry did, though Embry wasn't as much of a speed demon.

They'd been surrounded as soon as Edward got out of the car to hug his wife and wish her luck. Embry'd had himself a nice time snapping at everyone to back off, while Bella hid behind her husband.

"This maybe wasn't the best idea." She squeaked.

"You can always take online classes." He murmured, turning to face her while shielding her from the growing crowd. Bella shook her head.

"I liked it the first time. The interactions are better in-person."

She knew that much, despite how much of a shut-in she was.

"Well then I hope you have a wonderful first day." Edward purred happily. "And I'll see you at 4:15. I'm proud of you, Bella."

The brunette snorted.

"Forever and always." She chuckled. "I'll tell you everything when I get out of class."

"Mrs. Swan?" Someone asked. She turned, and Edward moved, to reveal a young woman about her same height with silver hair and dark green eyes.

"Excuse the crowd, please, not everyone's so ready to pounce. I'm Lackey."

Bella's eyes brightened and she grinned. Pauline Lackerman had been her penpal ever since she'd expressed her doubts about going back to school a few years ago. Edward had invited the daughter of one of his coworkers, who was around their age, out to a quiet dinner one weekend, and Lackey was ecstaticto have Bella around.

"You'relike the twin I never had!" Her friend, both of them on the cusp of thirty, insisted.


	4. Edward vs Renee

Bella had come so far from her first day of school. She was more eager to bring up what she learned and whisper to Edward whenever something in one of his conversations reminded her of a concept she learned in class. The school required at least one non-major-focused class, and instead of the writing class, she chose Art. Well, Arts and Ideas, to be more precise. Edward took one look at the projects on the syllabus and almost blanched. Bella hated crowds, hated too much noise and couldn't stand large groups of people. How did she expect to get these projects done when she wouldn't go outside if you paid her?!

"It'll be fun." She tried nervously. "They can be dates."

An art gallery, a jazz concert and a statue scavenger hunt… these would be interesting.

* * *

This was probably the worst time for an unexpected visit. The scavenger hunt turned out alright, because they went on a day where there weren't as many people, but they'd decided to walk that day and quickly got lost with no phones and not enough layers for the snowless mid-winter. The entire affair had Bella more than wiped out, and Edward would happily wait on her hand and foot if she would just talk to him… needless to say, this was quite the day.

What made it worse? Renee Dwyer, nee Higginbotham.

Bella's airheaded mother. And her husband. And her twins, one boy one girl. Apparently Bells wasn't enough.

According to Renee, Bella took after her father in all of the worst ways possible. They were both clingy, they loved being outside but hated being around too many people, if they could have a little log cabin in the middle of nowhere, they'd do just that. Edward knew for a fact that this wasn't true. Bella loved people-watching as long as nobody tried talking to her. She couldn't go anywhere without her coffee, an addiction they both shared, and "clingy" that Bella may be, Renee's never met any of the Cullens.

So after the third humiliating childhood story and the second sickly sweet "oh, what have you been up to?" Edward couldn't take much more.

"Excuse us." He murmured before all but dragging Bella into the kitchen.

"They have to go." He insisted. Bella leaned against him and shook her head.

"She's my mother. I already lost Charlie, you can't ask me to forsake her-."

"Bella, love, she is driving you into yourself. You were already wiped because we just got back from your scavenger hunt. Thank God we went on a weekday because there weren't as many people as there could have been, but it was a lot and this is a lot more. If it makes you feel better then we can put them up in a hotel and schedule some visits but they have to leave."

"She'll hate me, she'll hate me-."

"Bella," Edward murmured. "If she thinks that you're snubbing her then she doesn't know you at all. If she doesn't like dealing with something that's part of you then she doesn't deserve you."

"She's all I have to remember Charlie by-."

"You remember your father just fine, dearest. Tell me stories, if you want to. You cannot be expected to base your life around her when she hasn't done the same for you all this time. Bella, I need to know that you can handle Renee and the rest of her family being here."

"I'm not made of glass all the time, Edward. I've been putting up with her since I was born. What's another week or two?" His wife scowled bitterly. "Besides," And here, she sounded more hesitant. "Maybe she's here to make things right now that she's got Phil and the twins to keep her on track."

Bella sounded hopeful, and Edward wasn't about to rain on her parade when she was so rarely life this… but he didn't want all her energy sapped by her toxic mother and replacement siblings.

"They can spend their days with us, however long that might be, but they go when we say they go and we're not hosting them overnight. I had enough issues sharing a house with Emmett and Alice when I was little. I do not need those demons coming back to haunt me." Edward joked. Bella grinned widely and threw her arms around her husband.

"Thank you!" She exclaimed happily. "This'll be great, Edward! You'll finally get to see some of what I saw in Renee."

Edward clung to her and sent up a small prayer.

 _If anything could go wrong in Bella's life… please don't let it be thins. Please let Renee be everything her daughter wishes for… my wife can't take another heartbreak._

Meanwhile in the kitchen…

"They're talking about us. "Renee hissed. "I just know it! She should be happy that we're here!"

"Enough, Renee. Peter, go see if everything's alright."

The brunet boy nodded and slunk toward the kitchen, stopping to make sure that the couple didn't hear him.

"... she'll hate me-."

"Bella," The man murmured. "If she thinks that you're snubbing her then she doesn't know you at all. If she doesn't like dealing with something that's part of you then she doesn't deserve you."

"She's all I have to remember Charlie by-."

"You remember your father just fine, dearest. Tell me stories, if you want to. You cannot be expected to base your life around her when she hasn't done the same for you all this time. Bella, I need to know that you can handle Renee and the rest of her family being here."

"I'm not made of glass all the time, Edward. I've been putting up with her since I was born. What's another week or two?" His wife scowled, jerking away from him.

"Besides," And here, she hesitated. "Maybe she's here to make things right now that she's got Phil and the twins to keep her on track."

Peter shuffled away awkwardly and crept back to the kitchen table.

"Well?" His family gazed at him expectantly.

Peter shook his head.

"I don't know why you brought us here, Mom, when all you feel like doing is ruining that woman's life." He hissed.

"Peter! That's no way to talk to your mother like that!"

"She's obviously not anyone's mother, Dad. God forbid Talla and I end up like Bella." He scowled.

Now Talla was curious. Her brother was the calmer of the two of them, so for him to come back acting like this…

"She's like Bertha, isn't she?" Talla murmured. Peter nodded.

"Almost exactly like Bertha. And if she only had Mom for the better part of her early years… then what does that make us? Why didn't we know her sooner? We've been around all this time. You think we didn't deserve to know that we had another sibling somewhere?!"

"I think you're being far too loud and this conversation is best left for when we get home." Renee insisted.

"I'm not going anywhere without meeting the woman in the kitchen." Peter hissed. "Who could have been my older sister if you hadn't abandoned her like she had the plague!"

"Enough, Peter!" Phil snapped.

"It's not enough. She needs to know exactly what she did to her daughter!"

"I agree."

His parents gasped, and Peter whipped around to find that the man, Edward, leaned against the entrance to the kitchen.

He sighed and unclenched his fists. He hadn't even known he'd gone on the defense…

"I convinced Bella that she'd be better off taking a breather before she had to come out and deal with all this, but now I see that there's hope for you yet. It looks like at least two of you have good sense."

"Bertha was a friend of Talla's that I liked for a while. She'd walk with a limp and she couldn't bear to go outside for the longest time. But she loved being with people. Not crowds or anything like that. Just… people. One day I got phone call from the police saying that Bertha and her mother were dead, and that they'd found notes for me and Talla. Earlier that day she'd acted different at school. Told our entire class that she was moving away, what a great time she'd had here, all the friends she'd made…" Peter broke off with a small gasp and Tall picked up hesitantly from there.

"She didn't want to go home." The young girl murmured. "We kept asking her to stay at our place, said she'd be just fine there… but she went home. And the police found she and her mother dead the next morning. Her father had killed them both. So whatever Peter saw those two talking about in the kitchen must have reminded him of our dead friend who wasn't treated very well by one of her parents, who happened to be just wonderful to everyone else but his family. You can see why he might have a problem with you now." Talla hissed.

"I would never-."

"Plenty of people start with that sentence." Peter muttered bitterly. "Know how many would? Know who did?" He sneered. "It doesn't matter whether you hit her or not, Mom, you broke her heart! Made her desperate enough to please you that _her husband_ has to tell her that you might be using her! What kind of person were you, mom, that she ended up like this? And how do we know you aren't still?"

"You don't get to speak to me like that-!"

"Well, mom? What kind of person were you?" Talla demanded. "Mr. Cullen said Bella needed a break before we did anything else. Did she have a bad day?"

"Not entirely. We went on a scavenger hunt for an art class she's taking. Had to find different types of statues around the city. It was one of her better days, actually, but anyone would be winded after that. I know I was. I just didn't want something regrettable to happen when you all are fresh out the gate and she's sapped of her energy. I figured we can start fresh tomorrow."

"Alright. Then can you show us where we'll be sleeping?" Renee asked.

Edward nodded.

"I booked a couple rooms for you-"

"Booked rooms? What do you mean you-?"

"at the Palatial Resort. It's got the works, so you'll be more than happy there. You'll have to pay back whatever tab you start up there, and you can't leave until you do, but feel free to take advantage of whatever they have to offer. I can give you directions if you'd like."

"How dare you imply that we can't pay for our own things!" Renee sneered. "We were expecting that you'd have enough space for us here!"

"Well we don't." Edward snorted. "And even if we did, the hotel is better than anything we could provide. I was sure you'd get sick of not having your own space eventually."

"Bella is my daughter! I have every right to-."

"You have no rights here, Mrs. Dwyer. You have options. Two of hem. Either put your family up at the hotel and see Bella on her own terms, or leave altogether. I'm sorry to say that you came at a bad time, so this is what I've got."

"We'll take the directions." Phil offered. "Renee likes to take scenic routes when it suits her and she's terrible with the GPS. I'm too tired to get very far and these two aren't experienced enough."

"Phil-!" Renee spat.

"You heard him, sweetheart. These are fair conditions. Especially if Bella is tired. You can't expect everybody to bow to your wishes just because we came here on a whim."


	5. Cut Short

"She's absolutely not welcome here." That was the first thing to pour out of Esme's mouth when Bella picked up the phone the next morning.

"What happened?" Bella sighed. It was nearing ten am, and she'd woken up refreshed and ready to tackle the day.. but her mother just had to go and ruin her plans.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but Renee figured out which Cullens we are, not that it would take much, and she practically threw herself at us! Invited herself to dinner without so much as a by your leave, and I'm afraid I don't have the patience for it. I was going to try, Bella. I really was. But then she told me how she ambushed you yesterday, tried to set you up. I just can't, Bella. Not tonight, at any rate. If you and Edward want to spend some time with your mother, I understand. We'll be ready for you whenever you feel comfortable."

Bella's mind was whirling as she attempted to process what Esme was saying.

"Of course we'll be there tonight!" She blurted out. "Renee has her own family. She doesn't need to leech off of mine!"

"Holy shit." Came a familiar voice from the background. "Lady Swan has entered the castle and is taking no one's orders like the badass bitch we know she can be. How ya feelin, Bells?"

Rosalie Hale, despite being born and bred in New York City, sometimes takes after her blonde best friend and fellow in-law, Jasper. Who's southern accent could put any movie to shame.

"I was just wonderful, Rose. I even managed to pick out my own clothes and not have a midlife crisis, though God only knows what my mother will think when she sees me. Then I picked up the phone." Bella scowled. "So apparently I can't even wake up fully before Renee decides to fuck up my life. Edward and I'll be there for dinner, don't worry. And I'll have a grand ole time telling Renee what I've been up to these past few years."

"Sounds like that'll be interesting, sweetheart." Esme chuckled warmly. "We'll leave you to it. See you tonight."

Bella responded affirmatively and turned around, only to smack right into her husband.

"Good morning, lioness." He purred, wrapping his arms around her shoulders in a tight hug.

"You think I'm that brave?" Bella chirped happily.

"You sure were content to let Esme know what's what." Edward chuckled. "I can't wait to see how Renee reacts to that same performance."

Likely by screeching her head off. Bella predicted internally.

"I've set myself up, haven't I?" She groaned, sagging into Edward's embrace.

"Well, that's what I'm here for, dearest. No one gets to walk all over Bella Swan." Her husband assured her.

"Much appreciated, love." Bella murmured into his chest. "Now," finally, I get to say this before he has to tell me! "Go and get ready. Either they're coming here or we're going out to the hotel, but after yesterday? Something's gotta give."

* * *

Something did give. As predicted, Renee dragged her family back to her daughter's abode, where the young woman and her husband waited for them on the porch.

"I see your husband managed to get you out of bed today." Renee scoffed lightly.

Edward narrowed his eyes and Bella steeled herself.

 _We are_ not _doing this today._

"Bella actually had to get me up and moving." Edward sneered politely. The voice he used was often reserved for a client he didn't particularly like. Fortunately, no one caught onto his icy tone. "I almost told her to lock the doors and windows. Can't have you barging in unannounced, now can we?"

Edward was being downright cruel now, but neither her husband nor children objected.

"I suppose we got off on a bad foot yesterday." Renee scowled. "I'm Bella's mother and you're my son-in-law. It's only fair that we get along."

 _Have fun trying._ Bella snorted to herself. Edward was amenable to plenty of things, but once he caught whiff of a bad attitude... well, let's just say the claws came out.

"You're already not on my good side, Renee. Don't go simpering up now just because you met my mother. How did that go, by the way?" Bella's husband chuckled darkly. Renee brightened.

"Oh, just wonderfully! I told her all about you, Bella, and she's invited us to dinner this evening! Oh, I have the perfect dress-."

"Oh God, I can't do this." Bella groaned out Edward's exact thoughts, and for that, he was thankful. Nobody ever believed him when told that he could get a lot worse. There was a reason he managed to propel the company as far as he had.

"I was up, I got showered and dressed, I actually managed to eat on time, and then this came up and I thought I could handle it but apparently not. I'm sorry, Phil, it really is good to see you doing so well, but I need to go."

With that, Bella stormed back into the house.

Edward watched her go, a mix of sadness and anger in his gaze. When he turned that sharp glare on the Dwyers, they knew what was coming next.

"Your stay has ended." He informed them coldly. "I will give you two more nights under my tab and then you will leave. And the next time you decide to make the trip down here, please remember to call someone."

Three of the Dwyers nodded soberly and all but raced back to the car, but the one he wanted gone had no common sense.

"Leave, Renee. If you know what's good for you, you won't try this again."

"You being all high and mighty doesn't men you can boss me around!" Renee sneered.

"And giving birth to someone doesn't automatically make you their mother. Now leave." Edward insisted coldly.

Renee narrowed her eyes and went to speak further, but then Bella came back outside with her winter gear on and some of Edward's in her arms.

"C'mon, Esme wants your help with dinner and Jas wants to go a few rounds of chess. We should go before I get sidetracked."

"Of course, sweetheart. Thanks for getting my stuff." Edward murmured. Bella shot Renee a look of pity filled with hurt before addressing her.

"You're blocking our car." She informed her mother shrewdly before going to get in said car.

Renee stormed off and the couple was able to back out with ease.

"How do we know they won't stick around?" Edward wondered.

"I set the alarm." Bella snorted. Edward laughed. His wife was in a surprisingly good mood today. Hopefully it would last.


End file.
